Bio

The Path Behind…

I grew up in Brighton, a suburb of Rochester, NY that is not too small, but small enough not to warrant its own postal address. After high school I found a job working for a small landscape company while trying to find exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I enjoyed the work – being outdoors, working with plants, the detail-oriented nature of lawncare – and within the first year I was promoted to crew supervisor. Soon I realized it would be wise to get some technical training in horticulture, with the initial intent of starting my own landscape company.

I enrolled part-time in the Ornamental Horticulture program at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) and became fascinated by plant biology – particularly plant hormones. After two part-time semesters, I enrolled full-time for two more years to complete my Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree. (I did an extra semester to take care of some prerequisites before heading to Cornell.) By the time I graduated, my interest was in plant pathology – particularly systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced resistance (IR).

Cornell was the obvious place to pursue my Bachelors degree, having one of the best Plant Science programs in the country and being only a few hours from my hometown. My original major at Cornell was Plant Pathology, but that quickly changed. In my first semester I took the “introductory” genetics course (BIOGD281) – it was at the same time the most challenging/intense course I had ever taken and the most fascinating subject I had ever encountered. It changed my focus from pathology to plant biology and genetics – and the vast majority of the classes I have taken since have been in those subjects.

Throughout my educational career I have excelled, and both my performance and potential have been noted by many professors. Between FLCC and Cornell, I have made Dean’s List 7 out of 9 semesters. My GPA at FLCC was 3.75, and I was awarded with both the Marion and Seneca Landscape Scholarships. My current GPA at Cornell is 3.495, and my GPA last semester was 4.04.

The Path Ahead…

When I graduate in May, I hope to work as a lab assistant for a year or two, before continuing with my graduate education. I am open to exploring a variety of job opportunities in plant biology and genetics. At the same time, I would prefer to find a job providing an opportunity to use molecular genetic techniques.

The areas in which I am most interested include:

  • Plant Breeding
  • QTL mapping/Gene Discovery
  • Chemical Genetics
  • Secondary Metabolism
  • Plant Biology (general)
  • Plant-Pathogen Interactions

Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments, and for more details, please see my resume.